Joe Root has seen “good signs” from Ben Stokes as he steps up his recovery from injury ahead of England’s World Cup clash with Afghanistan.
Stokes reversed his retirement from ODIs to take part in England’s defense of the trophy, but suffered a hip problem on the eve of the tournament and watched out the first two matches – a nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand and a 137-run victory over Bangladesh – from the sidelines. .
The 32-year-old gradually increased his workload and completed running and fielding drills at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi before heading to the nets.
If Stokes returns, he would likely feature in the XI at No.4 in place of Harry Brook.
“Ben seems to be getting better every day, he’s been training really well, he’s had a bat and seems to be getting better,” Root said.
“These are all good signs. As we all know, any team with Ben is much stronger, but he has to be fit to play. We will see if that is the case (against Afghanistan).”
A smooth entry for Stokes into the World Cup?
Former England captain, Eoin Morgan, speaking to Sky Sports:
“The most important thing for this England team is to get Stokes back into action when he is ready and not just for fun.
“This match is certainly an opportunity for Ben to return to the team with a relatively smooth entry into the tournament.
“The Dharamshala outfield (for the win against Bangladesh on Tuesday) being a bit heavier, I’m probably looking at a few changes with possibly Chris Woakes and Mark Wood (out) and an introduction for David Willey and Gus Atkinson.”
Trott: Nothing personal for me against England
Afghanistan – beaten by Bangladesh and India in their opening two matches – are coached by former England striker Jonathan Trott, but he says they will not be very determined to get a result on Sunday.
Trott, who played 68 one-day internationals for England between 2009 and 2013, said: “There’s no extra motivation. It’s just another team we hope we can beat.
“There’s a sort of familiarity and I find it nice to play against England. So it’s going to be a challenge, of course, but nothing personal.
“There’s no sort of agenda or anything like that, it’s just another cricket match and that’s what I’m trying to express to the guys.
“At a World Cup, you know, there are a lot of distractions and emotions that come into play, but it’s going to be exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Don’t miss England vs Afghanistan live Air sport cricket And Sky Sports main event Sunday from 9 a.m. (first dance at 9:30 a.m.). You can also stream the game with NOW.
Follow the match on skysports.com and on the Sky Sports app with a live text blog and video clips.